Combined ore concentrator and amalgamator



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G. E. BALL- Combined Ore Concentrator and Amalgamator, .No. 229,077. Patented June 22,1880.

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0. B. BALL. Combined Ore Concentrator and ,Amalgamator.

Patented June 22,1880

JNVENTO WITNESSES.-

Arroze vz gjz N. PETERS. FHDTO-UTNOGHAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BALL, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED ORE CONCENTRATOR AND AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,077, dated June 22, 1880.

Application filed December 22, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. BALL, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Ore Concentrator and Amalgamator; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled-in the art to which it as follows: first, to provide means for con centrating or separating the sulphurets from the ore before introducing the latter to the mercury-bath; second, to graduate the supply of water used in diluting the waste and facilitatin g its flow according to the amount or quantity of pulp fed to the machine; third, to retard the flow of theore through the mercurybath so as to increase the time allowed for offecting amalgamation.

My improvements accordingly relate to the following points: first, to the combination, with an am algamating apparatus,of a shakingpan or concentrating-table connected with and operated from the agitating-shaft of said amalgamator; second, to the combination, with the ore or feeding chamber and a water-supply pipe for the amalgamating-chamber, of a floatvalve for controlling the water-flow from said pipe; third, to the peculiar construction of the amalgamating-chamber formed with a dividing-partition and deflecting-plates; fourth,

to certain details of construction hereinafter .A', which slopes or forms an incline, a and is curved,'as shown at from the base of said incline to its lowest or horizontal part, a. The end a is curved over, as shown, formmg an arch, A, whose inner side depends, as

shown at a until it nearly reaches the bottom part, of, leavinga space, E, for the admission of the mercury and ore.

U is a partition rising from the bottom of the machine nearly to the arch, dividing the tunnel A formed by the sides a a, into two compartments, G 0 which have communication with each other only over the top of said partition. 0 c are deflecting-plates secured, respectively, to the partition 0 and side a, and flaring or inclining upwardly from their points of attachment to said partition and side, their edges overlapping or breaking joints across a perpendicular line equidistant between said partition and side. Said plates are preferably of copper, or copper-surfaced, so as to make amalgamating-plates, but may be of any other material. They should have openings c c on the line of their attachment, for the escape of the mercury from the troughs which they form on their upper sides, as hereinafter set forth. The compartment G on the opposite side of the partition 0, has twoinclines, d cl, forming a hopper, D, in whose throat or outlet-pipe d is located an ejector, E, or exhausting device; or said device may be located at any other suitable point which will. admit of its producing, when in operation, suction or exhaust in said hopper and a vacuum in the arch A F F are water-pipes (of which one or more may be employed) located above the amalgamating-chamber, and formed with numerous orificesff, or having an equivalent slit or kerf, whereby the water issuing therefrom will be discharged in minute streams or in a thin sheet over the entire surface of the waste which arises through and from the mercury-bath.

G is an agitator located in the trough or hollow between. the curved part a of the bot- -tom and the depending side a and which constitutes a gangue-chamber, G Said agitator consists of a shaft with radial arms 9!, and has bearings in the sides a a", projecting also through one of said sides, to receive a driving- Wheel, G. Said wheel has a wrist-pin, g, to which is attached a pitman, H, connected at its other end with a lever, I, fulcrumed at 2' upon the frame of the machine.

K K are guide-rods located above the frame of the machine and sustained thereon, affording support to a shaking table or pan, L, which is suspended on said rods, so as to be capable of reciprocating motion thereon, by means of eyebolts or hangers l l.

M is a connecting-rod between the lever I and pan L.

n represents a cup or chamber located outside the main frame of the machine, and communicatin g with the interior thereof by a pipe, m. Within said chamber is a float, 0, whose standard 0 is secured to the stem 19 of a cock, P, which governs the admission to or flow of water through pipe F.

S S are the legs supporting the frame, and they have screw-thimbles s s for feet, whereby the level of the mercury may be adjusted with accuracy.

The operation is as follows: Mercury is first supplied in quantity sufficient that when elevated by suction or exhaust its upper surface will be slightly below the top of partition 0, while below it, and over the thin sheet which remains spread upon the bottom, is aclear space or passage for the admission of the ore, such mercury before being elevated by suction occupying position upon the level bottom a between partition 0 and curved part 60. The feet of the machine are now (if they have not already been) adjusted so as to maintain the mercury at a perfect level and prevent its forming a seal when elevated by suction, on either side of the machine. The agitator is now set rotating, and the ore, in the form of pulp or rendered quite fluid with water, is supplied to the pan L, which is caused to reciprocate through the medium of pitman H, lever I, and connecting-rod M. The action of the table or pan L causes the sulphurets to settle and be retained therein, while the ore, consisting of the earth or sand and finely-divided free gold, passes over the edge of said pan and falls upon the bottom A. Simultaneously with starting the agitator the ejector E is set in operation and water permitted to flow through pipes 13. The action of the ejector creates a vacuum in the amalgamatingchamber 0, and thereupon the mercury is lifted from bottom of, leaving a thin sheet,

however, spread upon latter, and held sus-- pended between partition 0 and depending side a, the upper surface of the column so suspended being below top of partition 0 and its lower surface above bottom edge of side a. The ore which falls from pan L flows beneath this column of suspended mercury, passing underneath side a, and passes thence upwardly through the same, the precious metal being detained and amalgamated, while the earthy matter or sand, with the water in which it is held in solution .or suspension, rises to the surface. Here the waste is further diluted by the streams of water from pipes F, and passes thence into the hopper D, and out of the same to any suitable point of discharge.

The ore in its passage through the amalgamating-chamber G is compelled to adopt a tacking course by reason of the overlapping deflecting-plates, and hence is retarded in such passage, whereby a longer time is allowed for amalgamation to be effected than is obtainable where a direct or unimpeded travel of the ore is afiorded.

The action of the agitator Gr prevents the ore from banking at its entrance to the amalgamating-chamber, and when said ore accumulates or-rises in the neighborhood of said agitator it flows into chamber N and raises float 0, thereby further opening cock 1?, increasing flow of water, thus accelerating the action of ejector, the energy of which, as is well known, is dependent upon the water-supply and the corresponding condensation of the steam within proper limits. Such accelerated action of ejector increases flow of ore into amalgamating-chamber, and as its level lowers in ore-chamber the float 0 drops, thereby partly closing cock P and diminishing supply of water through pipes F. The flow of water and action of the ejector are thus automatically governed by the feed of the ore, whereby steadiness and uniformity of action are secured.

When the amalgamating operation is suspended and the column of mercury allowed to fall those portions of it which would otherwise be retained in the troughs formed by the inclined plates on their upper sides flow down through the openings 0 c and may be drawn off and retorted or otherwise treated for the separation of the amalgamated metals.

I have shown the float 0 located in a cup or chamber exterior to the ore-chamber; but, if desired, said float may be located in said ore-chamber, as it is manifest that its operation is the same in both cases.

I make no claim in this application -to the combination of a suspension-chamber having an outlet-pipe terminating in an ejector, with a pipe for diluting the earth or waste elevated in the chamber, as suchis shown and claimed in an application of A. V. Trust, filed December 15, 1879.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In combination with the exhaust apparatus E, the chamber A formed by the side a, arch or crown A and depending side a the latter being clear of bottom of", substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the exhaust apparatus E, the chamber A having opening or entrance B and dividing-partition G, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with chamber A having partition (3, the converging inclines d d or hopper D, substantially as shown and set forth.

4. The combination, with ore-chamber and pipe F in an amalgamating-chamber, of float 0, connected to cock P, whereby the supply IIO of ore automatically regulates the flow of ma In testimony that I claim the foregoing I ter and governs action of ejector, substantially have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of as specified. December, 1879.

5. The combination, with agitator-shaft Gr, CHAS. E. BALL. 5 of pitman H, lever I, connecting-rod M, and Witnesses:

shaking pan or table L, substantially as shown SAML. J. VAN STAVOREN, and described. CHAS. F. VAN HORN. 

